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Hyderabad: BJP Perala Sekhar Rao smells 10-crore scam in SERP
Saffron party demands that KCR take action against erring officials; complains to PMO and Union Rural Development Minister
Hyderabad: Telangana BJP demanded Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the State government to conduct a thorough probe alleging irregularities to the tune of Rs 10 crore in Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).
Addressing media here on Thursday, BJP National Executive member Perala Sekhar Rao said that several financial irregularities are taking place in SERP, right under the nose of serving and retired IAS officials handling the SERP, functioning under the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department.
The BJP leader said that the SERP Livestock Livelihoods Unit (LLU) had earlier formed 2,975 Livestock Producers Groups (LPGs) with the SHG women. This was, to increase the livestock of goats and sheep and bring value addition to the livestock by-products.
As part of this, the LLHU had imparted training to about 2,300 women forming a new mechanism of Pasu Mitras (PMs). However, not even 200 of them are working in the villages. Because, "75 per cent of the groups are fake and the women shown as members of LPGs are not engaged in any kind of goat and sheep rearing activities," he claimed.
That apart, there were also financial irregularities in the LLHU procuring digital weighing machines, drenching guns, machines for the removal of ticks, vaccine carrier without calling for e-tenders during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years. Besides, there were irregularities in printing work like LFPG registers, animal health cards, flip charts, posters and PMS training manuals and others, he alleged.
For all these activities the SERP LLHU has withdrawn funds from the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) funds. Sekhara Rao said that the blatant nature of irregularities is such that the LLHU is neither an authorised nor a recognised entity, to impart veterinary training. Section 30(b) of the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984 mandates, that the practical training should be conducted, either by a veterinary university or the veterinary department. Hence, the training programmes conducted by the SERP has not got recognition so far, he pointed out.
Despite all the above, repeating the same modus operandi during the current financial year of 2020-21, the BJP leader said that the SERP has once again decided to provide Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) training, to about 1,850 Pasu Mitras in nine months with an estimated cost Rs 4,07 crore and, Rs 6.50 crore, for procuring Pasu Mitra Kits.
Further, in a hurry, to implement the scheme, the LHU wanted to complete the practical oriented AIT training of six months within three months through online mode. This is in complete violation of the Centre's directives not to conduct any new courses and training in any colleges and training centres till August 15, this year, he said.
